


Of Dwarves, Hobbits, and Elves

by thearkenstxne



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Don't Judge Me, F/M, My First Fanfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2018-10-31 05:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10892847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thearkenstxne/pseuds/thearkenstxne
Summary: What happens when the renowned assassin, the Little Demon, is asked to accompany the Company of Thorin Oakenshield on their suicidal quest to reclaim their homeland? Well, it certainly wasn't what she was expecting, anyways.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the first time I'm really ever posting a work of mine, so please give me some critiques! It'd be very helpful!! Thank you!! I hope you like it :)

As I poured the poison into the cup of brandy, my hands were steady, which wasn't a surprise, since this wasn't the first time I'd killed someone. Just as the last drop plopped into the drink, laughter sounded from outside of the room I was in. I cursed quietly, slipping the empty bottle of poison into the satchel around my neck. The window that I'd entered through was still open and I positioned myself on the ledge, looking down at the three story drop below me. The doorknob rattled on the other side of the room and I swung myself out the window, grabbing onto the ledge before I fell. I hissed at the effort it took to pull myself up. When I glanced into the room again, the man who had been my target was laying face down on the floor, the cup of brandy on its side on his desk. With a grim sense of pride, I hoisted myself onto the roof of the building. Wind blew through my short brown hair, a few tendrils tickling my cheeks. I stood there for a second, enjoying the freedom. After I climbed down from the roof, I found my employer, a sleazy gang leader, waiting for me with three other men.  
"Is it done, girl?" The man asked me, rather rudely. His name was Rollins.  
"I'd say it was." I replied, my voice steady. The four men towered over me, yet not one of them intimidated me a bit. I was a hobbit, which struck some people as funny, but they weren't laughing when I slit their throat. "Where's my payment?" I asked, my gaze flickering over the men.  
Rollins pulled a sack out of his pocket, shaking it. The jingling gave away the coins that hid inside. "You mean this, sweetheart?"  
I felt a twinge of irritation at his nickname, but ignored it. "Great. Hand it over." I opened my hand, waiting for him to drop the bag into it.  
The men exchanged glances, sneering to themselves. "Do you really think you're in a position to be giving orders?" One of the buffoons next to Rollins chuckled.  
"Considering that I just killed a man, yes, I do." I retorted, slipping my hand into my cloak where I'd stowed my daggers. Stupidly, I'd left my sword back in the room I had rented.  
"We're not gonna pay you anything, darlin'." Rollins crowed, looking like he just bested the devil himself.  
Unfortunately for him, I was worse than the devil. "You can't back out of our deal now. The man's already dead." I snarled, narrowing my eyes.  
"And you'll be joining him rather soon. It was lovely doing business with you." The bastard smirked, slipping the bag of coins back into his jacket. Then he turned and walked down the alley. "Do it quickly, boys." He called over his shoulder. I felt my rage burning, white hot. What did he think I was? A child?  
"Sorry, sweetheart, it's the end of the line for you." One of the men sneered, clutching a knife.  
I whirled towards them. "That's not my bloody name." I growled. Then with a snarl, I launched myself at them.  
Rollin's POV  
I smiled to myself as I walked down the alley, the coins jingling in my pocket. With Piers gone, my gang would rise to the top, no doubt. I hadn't believed that the little hobbit girl could kill a man, but she had, which was helpful. She was a naive little thing for not expecting a double cross. Suddenly there was a crunch of stone behind me and I turned. No one was there.  
"Brock? Anderson? Is it done?" I called, my own voice echoing back to me along the stone walls of the alley. Damn, it was dark. I couldn't even see to the end of the alley. There was still no answer, so I set my jaw and turned around, nearly jumping out of my skin when I saw the sight that greeted me. The hobbit girl was standing there, just watching me. There was a knife in her hand and as I stared, I realized it was coated in blood. As my eyes slid up her small frame, I saw more blood splattered on her shirt. She had a pretty little face and with her short hair that framed her face nicely, she was almost beautiful. But the deadly expression on her face countered her beauty.  
"Where're my men?" I asked sharply, already knowing the answer.  
She let out a laugh that chilled me. "I believe you already know."  
I swallowed, trying to not show my nervousness. "I'll pay you double."  
"Oh, Rollins, it's a little late for that I think." The girl purred, eerily calm. "You dug your grave when you tried to kill me." She continued, her eyes glinting. "Now it's time for you to lie in it." Her eyes were dark brown, but right now, they looked black. For a split second, I wondered if she was human or if she had crawled from some dark hole to damn us all. Before I could ponder this question any longer, she whipped forward faster than I could register, and slammed her knife into my chest. She twisted the knife as my vision flickered, and I gasped in pain. "Sweet dreams." She hissed.  
"Demon." I managed to gasp, not even struggling.  
The girl bared her teeth in a smile. "My name is Selene."


	2. Chapter 2

Selene's POV  
The pub was overcrowded and loud, with waitresses trying to push through the throng. This was how I liked it. Besides, no one bothered the table where I sat, since there was a poker game going on. I gazed at the three men whom I was playing, but none of them showed a hint of emotion. The one nearest me was a young man, rather handsome, with wicked blue eyes who always seemed to be up to mischief. He winked at me, but then folded, placing his hand down on the table. The man next to him then folded as well, and I stared at the last man coolly. He flashed a smug grin at me and placed his cards down.  
"A full house." He smirked. "What about you, sweetheart?"  
I raised an eyebrow, placing down my four aces. "Just this, hon." I replied in the same tone. The man's face grew red and I thought he might explode. "Something wrong?" I asked, my voice sugary sweet.  
"You-you must've cheated!" The man sputtered.  
My expression darkened. "I never cheat. Just accept that you lost." I stood up, ready to go collect my winnings, but the man stood too.  
"You little bitch." He leapt towards me, his meaty hand reaching for my small throat. I simply stepped out of the way, causing him to crash onto the table. Everyone scrambled out of the way and I heard a few cries of shock. Pulling out my dagger, I grabbed the man and forced him to look at me. My knife dug into his neck and he winced as a few drops of blood appeared.  
"This little bitch will slit your throat and never look back." I hissed, clutching his shirt. The man trembled with fear, seeming to forget that I was barely half his height. "You better get your sorry ass out of here before I make you pay for your remarks." When I let him go, he was gone in seconds. The man next to me was chuckling. I glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.  
His blue eyes glinted at me. "Now I know why they call you the little demon." He laughed, leaning back in his chair.  
"I'd prefer that name without the little part, but what can you do?" I replied, flashing a quick smile.  
"What's your real name?" The man asked me, cocking his head.  
Before I could answer, the bartender appeared beside me. "Selene! How many times do I have to tell you, no fighting in my bloody bar!"  
I smiled at the man, then gave my attention to the bartender. "Sorry, Corin, it won't happen again."  
"Aye." Corin grumbled. "That's what you always say, girl." As he stormed back to his bar, the man snorted in laughter.  
"I'm Robin, by the way." He told me, sticking his hand out.  
I took it and we shook, his hand far, far larger than mine. "Pleasure."  
Before we could continue our conversation, a old man with a long beard approached me.  
"Excuse me, are you Selene?" He asked, peering at me with sparkling blue eyes.  
"Aye, I am. Who's asking?" I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.  
"Forgive me, I am Gandalf the Grey." The old man answered, giving me a slight bow.  
My eyes widened. "I've heard much of you." Gandalf was a wizard and it would be best not to anger him. "How may I be of service?"  
Gandalf cast an eye around the bar, before looking back down at me. "Perhaps we should take our business outside." He suggested in a quiet voice. I nodded, turning towards Robin.  
He'd been watching us with a curious gleam in his eyes, but when I looked at him, he relaxed into an easy smile. "It was nice meeting you, but I'd better be going." I said, giving him a half-smile.  
"Well, it was an honor to meet the little demon." Robin chuckled, winking at me. I laughed and curtsied to him, before turning and following Gandalf outside. I could feel Robin's eyes on me as I left.  
"So, what seems to be so serious that we need to leave the bar?" I asked the wizard when we stepped outside.  
Gandalf gazed down at me and I suddenly felt vulnerable under his scrutiny. I shifted and placed my hands on my hips. "I understand you're an assassin, but would you be willing to partake in an adventure?"  
I raised an eyebrow, very interested now. "Depends. How much will you pay?"  
The wizard leaned towards me, a small smile on his lips. "I'll pay one-fifteenth of all the gold in the Lonely Mountain."  
A harsh laugh burst out of me and I threw my head back. "You're right batty if you think I'll help you take back that bloody mountain."  
"And why won't you?" He asked, pursing his lips.  
"It's a damn suicide mission!" I replied, my voice rising involuntarily. "You go in there, the dragon will kill you without a second thought!"  
"The dragon hasn't been seen in nearly sixty years." Gandalf stated matter-of-factly.  
I stopped, biting my lip. If we did manage to pull this stupid heist off, I'd be set for life. But was it worth getting killed over? "Why do you need me?" I finally asked, narrowing my eyes.  
"I have reason to suspect that certain people want the leader of our company killed and you would offer excellent protection." The wizard answered, rummaging around his cloak for something.  
I raised my eyebrows. "And who's the leader of the company?"  
Gandalf met my gaze with a slight smile. "Thorin Oakenshield."  
A laugh bubbled out of me. "The dwarf prince?"  
"He wants to reclaim his kingdom and his throne." Gandalf replied, pulling a pipe out of his cloak.  
"I thought his father was still alive." I said, crossing my arms.  
The wizard looked down, suddenly quiet. "Thrain was taken by orcs. By the time I found him, he was already dying."  
My eyes widened. "Does Thorin know?"  
He gave a slight shake of his head. "No, and I hope that I don't ever have to tell him."  
I bit my lip again, pondering this offer. "Alright, I guess I'll do it." I finally answered slowly. Gandalf smiled again and began to inform me on where to meet and whatnot. I was just hoping that I wouldn't die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone likes this so far! Please tell me if you have any compliments or criticism! Thanks!! :)


	3. Chapter 3

A week later, I was in the Shire, standing in front of a rather wealthy hobbit's house. I shifted my pack on my back, suddenly a little bit nervous. I was a little self-conscious of what I was wearing. I'd put on my nicest shirt and a pair of tight trousers. It was a nice outfit, but I was wondering if I should've worn a dress. I rolled my eyes. It was going to be a group of dwarves, who cared what they thought? I finally raised my hand and rang the doorbell. There was a grumbling from inside and then the door swung open, revealing an angry hobbit. His eyes widened when he saw me, and for some reason, I felt an odd satisfaction when I realized I was taller than him. I studied him. He had green eyes and curly cinnamon hair like most hobbits. Again, like most hobbits, he was a little chubby. I was an exception to that stereotype. All my training and workouts had made me lean and strong. With a jolt, I remembered my manners.

  
"Good evening. I'm Selene." I said, smiling.

  
"G-Gandalf never said a lady would be coming." The hobbit stuttered, looking a bit dumbfounded.

  
I let out a laugh. "Well, I wouldn't go so far as to call me a lady."

  
The hobbit suddenly stood up straighter. "Um, Bilbo Baggins, at your service." He gave me a slight bow and I nodded in reply. After he ushered me in and took my belongings for me, I peered down the hall where I could hear rowdy laughter.

  
I looked at Bilbo. "Dwarves?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  
"Yes. Lots of them." He said, clenching his fists.

  
I laughed. "Don't worry. I'll take care of them." Bilbo just nodded and I walked into the dining room. I immediately had to duck, due to a tomato flying over my head. As I straightened, my jaw dropped at the mess these dwarves had created. There was food everywhere; smeared on the walls, dropped on the floor and being stuffed into their mouths. Ale had spilled on the table and it was dripping into a puddle on the floor. The dwarves were yelling and laughing loudly enough to wake the dead, so they didn't notice me standing there. Gandalf didn't notice me either, since he was busy trying to keep the food on his plate. Setting my jaw, I cleared my throat loudly. The dwarves nearest to me quieted, turning towards me, and the rest of them soon followed suit.

  
Gandalf stood up quickly, almost knocking the table over. "Ah, Selene, you're here!" He stated, sounding a little sheepish.

  
"What the bloody hell are you doing to our host's house?!" I asked sharply. Gandalf flinched at my tone and I leveled a glare at the dwarves. "Do any of you even know what manners are?"

  
One of the dwarves glared right back at me. "Who do you think you are, little girl?" He growled.

  
"Well, it seems like I am the only one here who has any sense of etiquette, seeing as you're all shoveling food into your mouths and throwing it against the wall, without even a thank you to your host." I snarled back, feeling my hackles rise in defense of the hobbit I'd barely met. There was a stunned silence for a moment, then the dwarves burst into laughter.

  
"I like her!"

  
"Definitely got some fighting spirit, that one!"

  
A dwarf near me, wearing a rather silly looking hat, eyed me. "What's your name, love?"

  
I was at a loss of words for a second, but I cleared my throat. "I'm Selene." Normally when people laughed at me, it made me even angrier, but it was such a surprise, that my anger faded away.

  
"Are you comin' on the quest?" The dwarf who had just growled at me asked. He was definitely a fighter, with huge muscles and broad shoulders. He was big for a dwarf.

  
"Yes, I am." I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. All their stares on me were making me a tad uncomfortable.

  
Gandalf suddenly spoke up. "Selene here is an assassin. Probably the best I've ever seen."

  
A laugh burst out of one of the younger dwarves. He was a handsome little thing. When I caught his eye, he smirked at me. "I've never heard of a hobbit assassin."

  
I winked at him. "All the better for me. That way, when I slit your throat, you won't see it coming." Instead of his smirk disappearing, it only got wider.

  
"You hungry, lass?" The muscly one asked, offering me a plate filled with an array of foods. I took it gratefully, my stomach rumbling, but remained standing as the dwarves went around the table, introducing themselves to me. I noticed that a lot of them had similar sounding names, indicating they were closely related.

  
"Would ya like some ale, love?" A dwarf named Bofur asked me, holding out a mug to me. Normally I wasn't one for ale, but with all of the dwarves' eyes on me, I took it, setting down my empty plate of food. As I took a drink, one of the dwarves stood up, letting out the loudest belch I'd ever heard. I snickered, nearly choking on my drink.

  
"Nori!" A dwarf slapped the dwarf who'd belched upside the head. "Have some manners! There is a lady present!"

  
Nori shot me a grin. "Apologies, love."

  
"No need to apologize." I smiled back, the ale making me feel warm and content. "I'm not much of a lady anyways."

  
The dwarves all laughed at that. They were certainly a jovial bunch, I'd give them that. "You know, you don't look much like a hobbit." A blonde dwarf stated, leaning forward to gaze at me. He was young, with a handsome face that was very similar to the brunette next to him.

  
I shrugged, placing my now empty mug on the messy table. "Well, I wasn't raised by hobbits, so I expect I've turned out a little differently." Before anyone could reply, a small gasp caught my attention and I turned to see Mr. Baggins gaping at the mess in his dining room. I felt a twinge of guilt for immediately furthering the mess and grabbed my plate off the table, taking it into the hobbit's kitchen. Mr. Baggins followed me, taking deep breaths in what seemed to be an effort to not hyperventilate.

  
I gazed at him in concern. "Mr. Baggins? Are you alright?"

  
"Oh, yes, yes!" He replied in a rather high-pitched voice. "Just these blasted dwarves making a mess of my house." The hobbit added in a lower tone, clearing his throat. "Have you seen the carpet? There's mud all over it! They've pillaged my pantry, drank all of my ale and practically destroyed my plumbing!" Bilbo hissed, seeming pretty intimidating for a hobbit.

  
I opened my mouth to reply to the poor thing, but was cut off by the youngest dwarf. His name was Ori, I believed. "Excuse me. I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?" He asked in the most polite voice I'd ever heard. Bilbo didn't even get a chance to respond before the blonde dwarf snatched the plate from him.

  
"Give it here, Ori." He ordered. Then, whirling around, he threw the plate at his brunette brother, eliciting a shriek from the hobbit next to me.

  
"Excuse me!" Mr. Baggins cried, pretty much hyperventilating now. I wasn't sure whether to comfort him or laugh. "That is my mother's West Farthing pottery! It's over a hundred years old!" The dwarves didn't listen and I stepped back into the dining room to see all sorts of dishes and utensils flying around. "Can you please not do that?!" Bilbo shouted at the dwarves who were slamming the utensils into the table. "You'll blunt them!"

  
"Ooh, didja hear that lads?" Bofur crowed, smiling wickedly. "He says we'll blunt the knives!" And with that, the dwarves began singing. It was a lovely song with a fun rhythm, although all of the lyrics poked fun at the poor hobbit. Before I realized what was happening, Nori, the dwarf who'd belched, had swept me up and twirled me around in a jig. I usually wasn't too fond of dancing, but this was such a spur of the moment, that I threw my head back in laughter and just danced. With one final twirl from Nori, the song ended and I realized that the dwarves had piled up all the dishes and utensils in neat rows up and down the table.

  
I laughed out loud, clapping my hands together. "Bravo!"

  
"We're glad you liked it, love." Bofur chuckled. I presumed 'love' was my new nickname to them.

Then there were three sharp knocks on the front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't updated in a while and I'm so sorry!!!! This is a longer chapter to make up for it and I'll post again super soon I promise!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit??? I'm actually the worst I haven't updated in legit months guys I'm so sorry!! I'm going to try and post more and I've actually written a lot of this fanfic already soooo…I made this chapter really long to make up for not posting in forever…yikes I'm so sorry guys

Gandalf, who'd I almost forgotten was there, looked up. "He is here." The wizard whispered.

I didn't bother asking who. Everyone knew it.

Thorin Oakenshield, the dwarf king, had arrived.

By the time everyone had assembled by the front door, the dwarves were significantly quieter as they waited for the door to be opened. Then it swung open, revealing a black-haired, blue-eyed dwarf.

  
He turned, inclining his head in a greeting. "Gandalf." He stated, in a voice that reminded me of thunder rumbling. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find."

As the dwarf stepped into the light, I found myself a little shocked at how, well, handsome he was.

"I lost my way." Thorin spoke, shrugging off his cloak and hanging it. "Twice." He added softly, sounding almost embarrassed at this fact.

  
Gandalf finally spoke, breaking the trance that the rest of the us seemed to be in. "Um, yes, Bilbo, this is the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

  
"So, this is the hobbit." Thorin commented, turning his gaze onto Mr. Baggins.

He circled the poor hobbit, seeming a bit like a predator stalking its prey.

"Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

The hobbit's mouth dropped open as if this were an insult to him and I bit back a quiet laugh.

Before the affronted hobbit could reply, Thorin continued. "Axe or sword, what's your weapon of choice?"

  
"I-I…" Bilbo seemed rather confused, his cheeks flushed. "Well, I have some skill at conkers if you must know!"

I couldn't help it. A soft laugh escaped me, but in the quiet room, it was as loud as a yell.

Thorin's eyes swung to me as the dwarves parted and his stony gaze met mine.

  
"And who might this be?" He asked in a low voice, his eyes tracing my figure.

  
"My name's Selene." I replied, raising an eyebrow. "I'm the assassin who's apparently going to accompany you."

  
Thorin scoffed, though his gaze didn't leave my face. "I've never heard of a hobbit assassin."

  
Without missing a beat, I answered. "And I've never heard of anyone mad enough to try and retake Erebor, yet here you stand."

Thorin's jaw clenched, as if he were going to say something, and there was a cough from the crowd of dwarves, like someone was holding in a laugh.

  
"Erm, Thorin! You must be hungry!" Gandalf interrupted, sensing the palpable tension in the air. "Come, let's get you something to eat."

The wizard led the way back to the dining room and as Thorin passed by me, I realized that I barely came up to his shoulders. My face was set in a scowl as I stalked back to the dining room.

As I entered, Bofur jumped up from his seat.

  
"Here, love, sit down." He offered, smiling. I gave him a gracious smile in return and sat down, running a hand through my hair as we all waited for Thorin to say something.

  
An old white-haired dwarf ended up being the first to speak. "What of the meeting at Ered Luin? Did they all come?"

  
Thorin set down the spoon he was using. "Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms." Most of the dwarves murmured in approval.

  
"And what of Dain? Is he with us?" The muscly dwarf asked in a low voice.

  
"He will not come." Thorin replied, his voice laced with a growl. "He says this quest is ours, and ours alone."

I scoffed and I wasn't the only one to do so. Many of the dwarves looked peeved that their kin wouldn't join them.

  
Suddenly the hobbit spoke up from the doorway. He seemed to have recovered from his earlier embarrassment. "You're going on a quest?" He asked softly.

  
"Ah, Bilbo!" Gandalf acted as if he'd just remembered our host. "Let us have a little more light."

Bilbo hurried away, coming back with some lit candles. Gandalf placed a map on the table, that depicted the Lonely Mountain. There were runes on it that I couldn't read, along with arrows and words.

  
"Far to the east," Gandalf rumbled, everyone's eyes upon him. "Over ranges and river, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."

  
Bilbo leaned over Thorin's shoulder, reading the map. "The Lonely Mountain." He murmured.

"Aye!" A red-headed dwarf said loudly. "Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time!"

The dwarf I guessed was Oin nodded. "Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain, as it was foretold! When the birds of yore return to the mountain—"

  
I finished it for him. "The reign of the beast will end." I said softly, my mind filled with all sorts of thoughts.

  
"Aye, that's correct, lass." Oin said gravely, nodding at me approvingly.

  
"Beast?" Bilbo said, his eyes widening with fear. "What beast?"

"That would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible." Bofur replied, taking a pipe out of his jacket. "The chiefest and greatest calamity of our age."

  
Bilbo still looked confused, so I spoke up. "It's a dragon, Mr. Baggins." I said quietly, propping my chin up with my hand.

  
His mouth dropped open and he shrunk back. "Oh." The hobbit whispered, taking a shaky breath.

"I'm not afraid!" One of the younger dwarves yelled, leaping out of his seat. "I'll give him a taste of Dwarvish iron right up his jacksie!"

  
"Please." I scoffed, everyone's gazes swinging to me. "You'd last about three seconds before the dragon tore you in half."

  
The white-haired dwarf nodded at me. "Aye, she's right. We'd have trouble with an army behind, but we number just thirteen." He cast his eyes around the group of dwarves, raising his eyebrows. "And not thirteen of the best. Nor brightest." I snorted, but was immediately drowned out by the dwarves' arguing.

  
"Who are you calling dim?!" A voice yelled.

Their voices grew louder and louder, soon so loud that no one could hear anything above the noise. Mr. Baggins was saying something, seeming to try and calm the dwarves down, but I couldn't hear him. How on earth were we going to survive on the quest, if we couldn't even agree here?

  
Then the blonde dwarf jumped up. "We may be few in numbers! But we're fighters, all of us!" He yelled, sweeping his gaze around. "To the last dwarf!"

The dwarves quieted at this, watching the young dwarf with some sort of reverence.

  
The brunette dwarf next to him spoke up. "And you forget we have a wizard in our company!" This time everyone looked at Gandalf, who looked mildly uncomfortable. "Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time!"

  
"Oh, now, I wouldn't say that." The old wizard mumbled.

  
"Well, how many then?" The dwarf next to Nori asked loudly.

  
"W-what?" Gandalf stammered, coughing a little on the smoke from his pipe.

  
"How many dragons have you killed?" Another dwarf shouted, and that set off more yelling from the rest of the dwarves.

I groaned, putting my head in my hands. At this rate, we'd barely make it out the front door.

  
"Shazara!" There was a roar next to me and I whipped my head up to see Thorin standing, glowering at everyone. "If we have read these signs do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon has not been seen for sixty years and eyes look to the mountain, assessing, wondering and weighing the risk." Thorin's eyes swept over the cowed dwarves. I didn't realize what a piercing blue his eyes were until they landed on me. I held his gaze before he looked away. "Do we sit back and watch others claim what is rightfully ours, or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?!"

The dwarves cheered and their king yelled something in their language. I met Bilbo's eyes over Thorin's shoulder and the hobbit looked at me with an uncertain gaze. I flashed a quick smile at him to reassure the poor thing.

"You forget!" The white-haired dwarf called above the din. "The front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain." Thorin sat down, briefly looking defeated.

  
Gandalf smiled wickedly, holding a key out. "That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true."

  
Thorin's eyes widened and he looked at the wizard in shock and anger. "How came you by this?" He whispered.

  
"It was given to me by your father." The wizard's gaze met mine and I widened my eyes at the fact he was not stating. "By Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours." He handed it to Thorin, who held it reverently, staring at it in awe.

  
"If there's a key, there must be a door." The blonde dwarf said quietly, several of the dwarves muttering in agreement.

It took all of my will not to snort at that blatant and rather dumb statement.

  
Gandalf gestured at the map laid out in front of him. "These runes speak of a secret passage."

  
"There's another way in." The brunette whispered. My head was aching from rolling my eyes so much.

  
The wizard, who seemed to have a lot of patience, nodded. "Unfortunately, dwarf doors are invisible when shut." He sighed, studying the map. "The answer lies somewhere in this map, but I do not have the skill to find it. However, there are others in Middle Earth who do." I nodded. The only race who could probably find it would be the elves. "The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage."

  
The youngest dwarf spoke up, his innocent eyes wide. "That's why we need a burglar!"

  
Bilbo nodded. "Yep. An expert, I'd imagine."

  
Balin quirked an eyebrow, his blue eyes twinkling. "And are you?"

  
"Am I what?" The hobbit asked, looking confused. I stifled a small laugh.

  
"He said he's an expert, heh, heh!" Oin chuckled, causing some of the dwarves to laugh nervously.

Bilbo's eyes widened. "No, no! I'm not a burglar! I've never stolen a thing in my life!"

  
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins." Balin said, glancing at me out of the side of his eye. "He's hardly burglar material."

Bilbo was nodding vigorously behind Thorin's back.

  
"Aye." The muscular dwarf agreed, his eyes on Thorin. "The wild is no place for gentle folk, who can neither fight nor fend for themselves."

  
"Exactly!" Bilbo cried, gesturing wildly.

Many of the dwarves began grumbling amongst themselves, the noise rising to a dull roar.

  
Suddenly Gandalf leapt out of his chair, the room darkening as the wizard stood at his full height. "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is!"

The dwarves were all leaning as far away from him as possible and I was doing the same.

"Hobbits are remarkably quiet on their feet and can pass unseen by most if they choose." Gandalf said, relaxing a little. The darkness retreated. Bilbo's mouth had dropped open, but he was silent. "And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the smell of hobbit is entirely new to him." The wizard continued, eliciting a squeak from Bilbo. "You asked me to find a fifteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. He has a lot more to offer than any of you know, including himself." Gandalf concluded, nodding thoughtfully while staring at the hobbit.

Bilbo, on the other hand, seemed like he was struggling to form a sentence.

  
Thorin was brooding, something it seemed he did a lot. "Fine." He finally growled at Gandalf. "We'll do it your way." He nodded at Balin sharply. "Give him the contract."

  
"No, no, no, that's not necessary." Bilbo protested, as Balin handed him a long scroll.

Nevertheless, the hobbit unrolled it and began reading all of the terms. As I watched, Thorin leaned over to Gandalf, whispering something in his ear. When the dwarf sat back in his chair, he caught my gaze and I raised an eyebrow. Thorin clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing before he looked away. I didn't think he liked me very much.

  
Bilbo was muttering to himself in the hall. "Includes but is not limited to…lacerations?" He whispered, his eyes widening. His head snapped up towards us. "Evisceration? Incineration?"

  
"Oh, aye, the dragon'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye." Bofur said cheerfully, chewing on his pipe.

  
Bilbo cocked his head, his cheeks paling a bit. "Huh."

  
I immediately knew he was going to pass out.

  
"You alright, laddie?" Balin asked kindly.

  
"Yes, I just feel a bit, uh, a bit faint." The hobbit answered, his hands tightening.

  
Bofur didn't seen to notice the hobbit's distress. "Think furnace with wings!" He continued happily, nodding.

  
"Air. I need air." Bilbo muttered, bending over.

  
"Flash of light, searing pain, and poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash!" Bofur added, smiling.

  
"Stop it!" I finally interrupted, standing up. "Can't you see he's going to—"

  
I was cut off by Bilbo toppling to the floor behind me.


	5. Chapter 5

Since Bofur was the one who'd caused him to faint, Bofur carried Bilbo into his living room, placing him into the large armchair. I wanted to stay until the hobbit woke up but Gandalf shooed me out, so I went back into the dining room. As I sat down, Thorin got up, exiting the room with a quick glare at me.

  
I smiled a little. "I don't think he likes me very much."

  
"Don't take it personally, love. He doesn't like anyone at first." Bofur replied, grinning.

  
Before I could reply, Kili, the brunette brother, spoke up from the corner of the room. "So, tell us, love. Why would a pretty little thing like you become an assassin?" He asked, his eyes sliding down my figure as he grinned cheekily.

  
I raised an eyebrow. "Well, you know, prostitution just wasn't paying the bills." I retorted without missing a beat.

I was kidding, of course, although there'd been a dark period in my life where I'd considered it. The dwarves' reactions, however, were priceless.

  
Fili's, Kili's brother, mouth fell open in shock. Dwalin, the big muscly dwarf, had been drinking some ale and he began coughing loudly. The rest of the dwarves stared at me, some with grins on their faces, like they knew I was joking. Kili's face had gone pale.

  
"Oh, grow up." I laughed. "I'm just kidding."

  
At that, the dwarves burst into rowdy laughter. Kili pouted, but his brother smacked his head, chuckling.

  
"I like you already, love." Nori snickered, shaking his head.

  
"You fit right in." Dwalin added, grinning at me.

  
I smiled, but before I could answer, Gandalf came back in. "Selene, may I speak to you?"

  
"Oh, yes, of course." I replied, standing up and following the wizard into the hall.

  
When he stopped, he looked down at me, raising his eyebrows. "My dear, would you be willing to speak to Mr. Baggins?"

  
I tilted my head. "Yes, but why?" I replied, creasing my forehead.

  
"I cannot seem to convince him to come on the quest, so you might have a better chance." Gandalf answered, fumbling with his hands a little.

  
I nodded, leaving it at that and going into the hobbit's living room. I found him sitting in his armchair, seeming a bit zoned out.

  
"May I sit?" I asked softy.

  
Bilbo jumped, his head snapping up towards me. "Oh, yes! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

  
I perched on the love seat across from him. "So, Gandalf tells me you don't want to come on the adventure."

  
"It's not that I don't want to." The hobbit replied, rubbing his temples tiredly. "I'm just scared."

  
"Well, that's natural." I said, resting my head on my hand. "There's gonna be some challenges out in the wilderness."

  
"That's not what I'm scared of." He said in reply, glancing up at me quickly, then looking down. "I'm afraid of what the other hobbits will think of me." Bilbo sighed, shaking his head. "I know, it sounds stupid and shallow, but—"

  
"It's not stupid." I cut him off. "I used to worry about that all the time."

  
Bilbo's eyes widened. "You did? But you seem so confident."

  
"I mean, a lot of people like to judge me since I'm an assassin." I replied, shrugging. "I eventually just stopped letting it bother me."

  
The hobbit quirked an eyebrow. "How did you do that?"

  
"You just have to realize that the only person who's allowed to judge you is yourself." I answered, tilting my head and studying him.

  
Bilbo seemed to withdraw into himself and think about what I had told him.

  
I stood up. "Just think about coming. I know you're scared, but the only way to get rid of a fear is to face it." I said quietly. "It'd make me happy if you came too." I murmured, reaching down and squeezing his shoulder gently.

As I exited the room, I heard Bilbo sigh. When I walked out, I nearly rammed into Thorin, who seemed to come out of nowhere. He was blocking my way out of the room. His blue eyes flashed as he looked down at me and I realized he'd probably heard our entire conversation.

  
I clenched my jaw, gazing at him coolly. "You know, the polite thing to do would be to let me pass." I said, crossing my arms.

  
Thorin's own jaw clenched and his nostrils flared.

  
I bit back a grin. It was pretty fun to irritate him. Without a word, he stepped out of the way, watching me as I walked by.

The dwarves had left the dining room, so I found a seat in the hall and collapsed in it, resting my head against the wall and closing my eyes. My thoughts were scattered as I sat there, so at first I didn't notice when the humming started. But when a deep, smooth voice began singing, my eyes snapped open and I sat up. With a jolt, I realized that Thorin was the one singing.

  
"We must away, ere break of day, to find our long forgotten gold."

  
The rest of the dwarves joined in the song and their voices wove together, creating a melody that was entrancing. I didn't realize that I was holding my breath until the song was over and I let out a long breath.

I felt a single tear run down my cheek and I wiped it away, biting my lip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've decided to do my absolute best to post everyday which will also keep me motivated to finish the fanfic! It sucks rn but I promise it'll get better!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter isn't as long but tomorrow's will be longer and really good I promise ;) hope you're enjoying it so far!!

That night I slept in the armchair, but I had trouble falling asleep, due to the snores from the many dwarves sleeping around me.

When I woke up, sunlight had started streaming through the windows already, and most of the dwarves were awake and getting ready to go.

  
"Ah, and she rises!" Bofur teased as I sat up, yawning and running a hand through my hair. I rolled my eyes playfully, grinning at him. "You sleep alright, love?" He asked.

Some of the other dwarves stopped what they were doing and turned towards me.

  
"Not really. Do you have any idea how much the lot of you snore?" I replied, raising my eyebrow in a joking manner.

  
There was a short silence, before they all started laughing.

  
Bofur patted my shoulder. "Sorry about that, love, we can't help it."

I didn't get a chance to reply, since Thorin stormed in, causing most of the dwarves to fall silent.  
"We're heading out." He stated, his eyes sweeping the room, dancing over my figure for a second. I'd almost forgotten how deep his voice was. It sounded as rough as a rocks scraping together, but not necessarily in a bad way.

As we stepped outside, I glanced around, quickly realizing that Bilbo wasn't with us. I frowned slightly at that. I'd actually really wanted him to come on the adventure.

Gandalf was waiting outside, with a lot of ponies and one horse. Balin told me to pick any pony I wanted, so I chose a dark brown mare, who nuzzled into my hand when I petted her. I slung my bags over her first, then prepared to pull myself up onto her.

  
"Need help, lass?" A dwarf asked, causing me to turn towards him. It was Dwalin.

  
I smiled. "Oh, no, thanks!" I replied, before easily pulling myself up onto the pony.

  
Dwalin grinned the tiniest bit as he jumped into the pony next to me.

As soon as everyone was situated, we began our journey. Dwalin rode next to me, but was quiet at first. Soon however, we struck up a conversation.

  
"So, lass, you're an assassin?" He asked, looking at me. I nodded, brushing some hair away from my face. "What weapons do you use then?"

  
I noticed that when I talked, most of the dwarves gathered around to listen, and this time was no exception. "I can use a sword, as well as a bow and arrows, but my specialty is knives." I replied, a slight grin slipping onto my face. There was a bit of silence. "Oh, and poison!" I added, glancing around at them.

  
Bofur raised his eyebrows and was the first to speak. "You're dark, you know that, love?"

  
I grinned, as Dwalin spoke up. "Why use poison?" He asked gruffly, glaring at me. He seemed to glare at everyone, so I didn't take it personally.

  
"Well, you don't get blood on your clothes. Plus it's quick." I replied, shrugging.

  
Dwalin's lips quirked up, as he looked at me with a newfound respect. "Yeah, I suppose so, lass."

  
"I must admit, love, you scare me a little bit." Nori spoke up from in front of me, winking at me over his shoulder.

  
Before I could answer, Bofur spoke up. "Only a little bit? I'm downright terrified of her." He said, his eyes wide.

  
I burst out laughing, earning more smiles from the dwarves. At least I'd made friends with all of them quickly. Well, except for Thorin. He was riding a little ways ahead of us, ignoring our laughs.

  
Suddenly I heard a shout from behind us. With a jolt, I recognized the voice and pulled my pony to a quick halt. "Stop!" I called, causing everyone to stop suddenly and turn to look at me. "I heard Bilbo! He's coming!" I said excitedly, pointing towards the direction from which I heard the yell. All eyes followed my finger, but no one was there.

  
"Unless you have something helpful to contribute, it would be most helpful of you to keep quiet." Thorin growled at me, giving me a cold look.

  
My eyes widened at his blatant rudeness, before I shot him a death glare of my own. "Believe it or not, I do have something helpful to add, because Mr. Baggins is coming right now!" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

  
As soon as the words left my lips, Bilbo appeared where I had been pointing, panting and clutching the contract. "I signed it!" He announced, waving the contract at us.

  
Balin took it from him, reading it over. "Well, everything seems to be in order." The older dwarf said happily. "Welcome, Master Baggins, to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield."

  
Thorin, however, didn't seen impressed. "Give him a pony." He ordered, already turning away.

  
"Oh, no, no, no, that won't be necessary!" Bilbo protested, shaking his head. No one listened, so Kili and Fili grabbed his shoulder, hauling him onto a pony. I began riding next to him.

  
"You came!" I said, grinning like an idiot at the hobbit. I hardly knew him, but I hoped we'd get to be good friends.

  
Bilbo ducked his head, a bit bashfully. "Yes, well, I wouldn't have come were it not for your kind words to me, so thank you."

My grin softened and I tucked a strand of my hair back. "I'm glad you decided to face your fear."

  
He shrugged, smiling. "Well, you should've seen the other hobbits when I ran past them all."

  
"Oh, that must've been absolutely hilarious." I replied, smiling wider.

"I nearly got run over by my neighbor's wheelbarrow and I knocked down a clothesline." Bilbo said, his face serious.

  
I threw my head back, clutching my sides in laughter. "That's the best thing I've heard all day."

  
Bilbo smiled, letting out a small chuckle of his own. "Alright, it was funny."

  
As we rode on, Bilbo and I kept talking, several of the dwarves eventually joining in.

During the first two days I got especially close to Kili, Fili, Bofur, Nori and Balin. Dwalin still talked to me, but not as much as the first day. And Thorin, of course, maintained his hostility towards me.

I didn't understand why he disliked me so much.


	7. Chapter 7

The second night, we were setting up camp and I was humming to myself when Bilbo came up to me, looking a bit sheepish.

  
"Um, Selene?" He asked, fidgeting with his hands.

  
I looked up from my pack, smiling at him. "Yes, Bilbo?"

  
"Uh, well, some of the dwarves were asking me about what weapons I use, but I, um, I don't know how to use any, so I was wondering if you'd teach me." The hobbit babbled, biting his lip.

  
My grin grew wider. "I'd love to!" I grabbed my bag with my many weapons in it and stood up. "Oh, this'll be so fun!" I squealed, looking Bilbo from head to toe. I finally nodded and pulled out my extra bow. "I think we'll start with this, since you're smaller." I handed it to him and he held it away from his body, as if it would explode. I raised an eyebrow. "Bilbo, it's not going to hurt you. It's not even loaded with an arrow."

  
"Oh, right." He murmured, his cheeks going pink.

  
I laughed, leading him to an emptier section of the camp and crossing my arms. "Okay, let's see how much we need to work on. How do you think you hold the bow?" I asked, pursing my lips.

Bilbo glanced at me, then back at the bow. "Oh, well, um, let's see, I guess." He gripped the wooden part with his left hand, then pulled back the string.

  
"Good! Bilbo, that's good!" I said, clapping my hands. I pulled out an arrow and slowly showed Bilbo how to load it, then handed the bow back to him. "Show me how to load the bow." I ordered, not unkindly.

  
"Wait, you mean—" Bilbo started, swinging the loaded bow towards me.

  
I yelled, ducking. "Bilbo, don't point it at people when it's loaded!"

  
Several of the dwarves looked over at us. "You alright, love?" Bofur called.

  
I waved at him, taking the bow from Bilbo.

  
"I'm so sorry, Selene." Bilbo said, his eyes wide.

  
"It's okay, we'll just start with something different." I replied, putting away the bow and taking out a small knife.

  
Bilbo's eyes grew even wider at the sight of it. "A knife?"

  
"It's best for us small people. Swords can be too heavy, so knives are better." I said, placing it in his hand. "The only problem is that you have to get in close to cut someone, but that's what I'm gonna teach you."

  
"Do you think you can show me before I have to do it?" He asked, looking pitiful.

  
I laughed. "Would you like me to spar with the trees?"

  
Before he could answer, Kili spoke up from behind me. "I'll spar you, love."

  
I turned, raising an eyebrow at the grinning brunette dwarf. "Oh, you will?"

  
"C'mon, that's not a fair fight!" Dwalin called. "She's smaller than you, Kili!"

  
"No, it's fine. I'll do it." I replied, grinning wickedly. It'd been a while since my last fight and I'd been itching for one.

  
I pulled out my two favorite knives, long, wickedly sharp blades, whose hilts had molded to fit my hands perfectly.

"Selene, you're going to get hurt!" Bilbo whispered harshly, still clutching my small knife.

  
I chuckled. "Bilbo, I kill people for a living. I won't get hurt."

  
With that, I turned away, seeing Kili pull out a shorter sword. It looked heavy, which I would use to my advantage. Gandalf caught my eye from across camp, giving me a small grin. All of the dwarves were watching, including Thorin. He looked serious as stone, as usual, but he clapped Kili on the back along with the rest of the dwarves.

As soon as we had cleared a big enough space, Kili smirked at me, confident to the last. "I'll try to go easy for you, love."

"By all means, please do. It'll just help me beat you faster." I retorted, gripping my blades loosely.

  
Kili winked, and then the fight began. He attacked first, slashing down with his sword. I easily blocked the move and I had an opening for his stomach, but I didn't want to end the fight too early. Kili fought well, but he fought stiffly, each of his moves seeming almost robotic. I always thought of fights of more of a dance. I let my knives lead me. He twisted around, doing a clever maneuver by aiming two quick shots at my sides, but I dodged them. As he brought the sword down again, I ducked, rolling behind him and slamming the butt of my knife into the space between his neck and shoulder. He yelped, dropping the sword, and I slammed my knee into his back, forcing him to kneel. In the span of a second, I had two knives at his throat and Kili froze, his eyes staring up at me in shock.

  
I grinned wickedly. "Thanks for going easy." I teased, raising an eyebrow at him.

  
For a split second there was complete silence, before the dwarves burst into a loud commotion.

  
Kili stood up, still staring at me with wide eyes. "How the hell did you learn to fight that well, love?" He asked, not unkindly.

  
I shrugged, twirling one of my knives. "I'm an assassin, remember?" I replied, shooting him a wink.

  
Several of the dwarves gathered around me.

  
"Love, could you show me how to fight like that?"

  
"How'd you do it, lass? You're so small!"

  
"Do you know how to use a sword at all?"

  
I was bombarded by questions and wasn't sure how to answer when Dwalin stepped in.

  
"Alright." He growled, glaring at the dwarves. "Give her some space, you're overwhelming the lass."

  
Everyone took a step back, away from Dwalin's dangerous gaze and he turned towards me. I grinned at him thankfully and he shot me a wink. Well, I supposed that beating Kili up had made me even better friends with the dwarves.

  
That night, I was technically supposed to be keeping watch, but Kili and Fili had offered to cover for me. I sat next to them, beside the fire. Kili chattered on and on, but the warmth from the fire made me sleepy and Fili seemed to notice that. He scooted a little bit closer to me and without thinking, I rested my head on his shoulder. Within seconds, I was dozing off.

I was only half-asleep, so when I heard the first scream, I jerked awake.

Fili's arm immediately went in front of me, as if he were protecting me from the orc that had let out the horrible sound. I felt a bit touched at that. Bilbo appeared in the fire light, his eyes as wide as saucers.

  
"What was that?" He asked, trembling a little.

  
"Orcs." I replied, my voice low as Fili dropped his arm.

  
Bilbo's eyes got even wider. "Orcs?"

  
"Aye. Throat-cutters." Kili answered darkly. "They attack in the wee hours when everyone's asleep. It's quick and quiet. No screams, just lots of blood."

  
Bilbo squeaked, turning to look where the sound had come from, as Kili and Fili began snickering. I felt my anger rising.

  
"Do you guys think it's a joke?" I hissed, standing up. The dwarf brothers immediately stopped laughing. "You think being slaughtered by orcs is funny?"

  
"No, no! We didn't mean anything by it!" Kili replied, shaking his head vigorously.

  
Before I could reply, Thorin's distinct voice spoke up. "Of course you didn't. You know nothing of the world." He growled, seeming to barely contain his anger.

  
I turned to see him glaring the at the two younger dwarves, then whirling around and storming away from the camp. For a second, I felt an urge to follow him, but I shook it off. He didn't like me at all, so why should I bother?

  
"Don't take it personally, lad." Balin spoke up, catching all of our attention. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs."

  
"Why's that?" Bilbo asked quietly.

At that Balin launched into the story of Moria. I'd heard the tale before, so I got up, wandering away from the firelight, my mind racing. I hadn't meant to snap at poor Fili and Kili, but they shouldn't have made light about something so serious. I sighed, leaning against a tree and sliding to sit on the ground.

Thorin had walked away towards the edge of the cliff we had camped on. There was a full moon out and it silhouetted Thorin, making almost look like he was glowing. He didn't slouch yet he seemed like he carried a burden.

It was like he was already king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I hope y'all like this so far. if anyone has any feedback pls comment bc I need validation thank you :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is kinda late guys I wasn't feeling too well :(

The next day, it was pouring rain. I normally didn't mind the rain, but this was ridiculous. I'd completely given up on even trying to cover myself up with anything, so my entire body was soaking wet. The only good thing that was happening was the conversation occurring between Bilbo and Gandalf.

  
"And are there any?" Bilbo asked, riding next to me.

  
Gandalf glanced over his shoulder at us. "Any what?"

  
"Other wizards?"

  
"Why, yes. There are five of us." He replied. "There are the two blue wizards." He paused there. "You know, I've quite forgotten their names. Then there is our leader, Saruman the White."

  
Bilbo was nodding and I was listening too. "And the last?" Bilbo pressed.

  
Gandalf's lips quirked up. "Well, that would be Radagast the Brown."

  
"And is he a great wizard, or is a more like you?" Bilbo asked. I burst out laughing, nearly toppling off of my pony. I got some concerned looks from the dwarves. Bilbo's cheeks reddened.

  
The old wizard didn't seem offended, instead he simply smiled. "I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way. He's an odd fellow, prefers the company of animals over anything else."

  
"He protects the Greenwood, doesn't he?" I asked, leaning forward.

  
"Yes. And a good thing too, for always evil will try to find a foothold in this world." Gandalf replied, and with that, rode a little ways ahead of us, deep in thought.

  
The rain stopped and it was clear by the time we had decided to stop and make camp. We ended up next to a ramshackle house that was in ruins. I hopped off my pony, rubbing her neck and feeding her an apple.

  
"A farmer and his family used to live here." Gandalf said, his voice rumbling over the noise of the dwarves.

  
Thorin paid him no mind, already ordering the dwarves around. "Oin, Gloin, get a fire going!"

  
I noticed that Thorin tended to do what he wanted, even though it usually contradicted what Gandalf proposed.

  
"Perhaps it would be wiser to move on." Gandalf said, wandering over to the house. Thorin followed him and I strained my ears to listen. "We could make for the Hidden Valley—"

  
"I told you, I will not go near that place." Thorin growled, lowering his eyebrows.

Sometimes I wondered if he ever smiled. I found myself wondering a lot of things about Thorin and I mentally slapped myself each time.

  
"Why not?" Gandalf pressed, which didn't seem wise. "The elves could give us food, shelter, advice!"

  
Thorin's jaw clenched. "What advice do we need from elves?"

"We have a map that we cannot read." The wizard reminded him gently. "The elves could help—"

That was the wrong thing to say and the dwarves all quieted. Even I winced and prepared for Thorin to explode. I didn't blame him for hating the elves. They'd simply watched as his home was destroyed. That could seriously mess up a person.

  
"Help?" Thorin replied, his voice laced with danger. "A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the elves?" Gandalf looked down, away from Thorin's hard gaze. "Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, the elves look on and do nothing." Thorin spat, causing Bilbo to tremble beside me. "My father and my grandfather—"

  
Gandalf finally cut him off, his own voice harsh. "You are neither of them! I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past!"

  
"I did not realize that they were yours to keep!" Thorin practically snarled, seeming taller in his rage.

  
The wizard seemed at a lost for words. He stared at Thorin for a few more seconds before whirling around and storming off.

  
"Gandalf?" Bilbo called tentatively, fidgeting with his hands. "Where are you going?"

  
"To talk to the only person around here with any sense!" Gandalf yelled in reply.

  
Bilbo and I exchanged a glance. "And who's that?" He asked.

  
"Myself, Mr. Baggins!" Gandalf shouted, causing Bilbo to flinch. He was a jumpy little thing.

  
We all watched as Gandalf stormed away, disappearing into the trees.

  
Everyone was silent for a few seconds, even the birds in the trees. Then Thorin spoke up.  
"C'mon, Bombur, we're hungry." He called, his voice even deeper than usual.

  
I glanced over at him, our gazes meeting for a second. My face softened and I offered him the tiniest of smiles. I sympathized with him over the elf issue.

Instead of smiling back, his face hardened and he turned away. I rolled my eyes. This whole hating me thing was getting kind of old. I did not understand why he didn't like me.

  
Later, I was sitting next to Bofur and Nori who were entertaining me by competing over who could eat their stew the fastest. They were already on their third bowl and Nori was currently winning. I'd already finished my own stew and was cheering on Bofur. Nori ended up winning since Bombur wouldn't let them take any more stew, so they couldn't have another round. The dwarves then turned their attention to me. Bilbo had gone to give Kili and Fili their own stew and Thorin was sitting over next to Dwalin, observing us with his ice blue eyes.

  
"Did you even eat, love?" Bofur asked worriedly. "You're far too thin."

  
"Aye, he's right. Aren't hobbits supposed to have some meat on their bones?" Nori asked, pinching my side gently.

  
I laughed, slapping his hand away. "I work out a lot. I have to keep in tip-top shape to kill people, you know."

  
The dwarves all laughed. "It must be funny to see people's faces when you tell them that you're going to kill them." Dwalin called from across camp.

  
At that I cracked up, clapping my hands over my mouth in delight. The dwarves chuckled confusedly. "Don't be silly, I don't tell the person I'm going to kill that I'll kill them!" I replied, shaking my head. "When I have to kill someone, I do my best to avoid any confrontation with them. That's why I use poison. Quick and easy." I added, smiling rather creepily.

  
Nori laughed, putting his arm around me. "You're so dark, love. I like it a lot."

  
I grinned. "Why, thank you."

  
Before our conversation could continue, Kili and Fili burst from the trees, gasping and panicking.

  
"Trolls!" Kili yelled.

  
"They took Bilbo!" Fili added, his hair a mess.

  
Everyone was up in a flash, reaching for their weapons, and the dwarf brothers led us to another fire where we found three trolls holding up Bilbo.

  
"Attack on three." Thorin growled, raising his sword. "One—"

  
"Screw that." I snarled, cutting him off. Without waiting for him to finish, I burst into the firelight, swinging my sword. The dwarves yelled, following my lead, and the fight was on.

  
I was young when I first realized that I was a superb fighter. I'd actually discovered it by accident when I'd been cornered by a group of boys who had thought it would be fun to try and steal from me. Fighting seemed to be the only thing I was good at. It seemed ironic, but it calmed me. I blocked everything out except my opponent and I focused solely on them. It made it extremely easy for me to find their weaknesses and their repetitive moves. That was why I thought of fighting as a dance. If I let my weapons guide me, my technique was different every time and my opponent could not have an advantage.

  
My sword glided in an arc, finding its place in the troll's side. He bellowed in pain, but it seemed to not really hurt him. However, the dwarves and I together were a great team of warriors and we seemed to be close to winning the fight.

  
At least until the trolls held Bilbo up and threatened to tear him limb from limb.


End file.
